Assigkoe



L. T. REMICK. MACHINE FOR HINISHING THE EDGES 0F FLEXIBLE MATERIAL.

' APPLICATION FILED APR. I3. 1914.

l ,3 1 0,579, Patented July 22, 1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

L. T. REIVIICK. MAC'rIINE F08 FINISHING THE EDGES 0F FLEXIBLE MATERIAL.

APPLICATION FILED APR. I3, I9i4.

lut'untcd J 1113' 22, IIIIII.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Z- UNZUEB @TATES PATENT @FFICE.

LLfiYD T. REFIIGK, 3E BRQCKTON. MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOE. BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO UNITED SHGE IVIACHINERY CORPORATION, OLE PATEBSON, NEW JERSEY,

A. GDRPORATIGN OF NEW! JERSEY.

MACHINE FOR FINISHING THE EDGES OF FLEXIBLE MATERIAL.

Speeincation of Application filed April 13,

T 0 all whom it may; concern:

Be it known that L LLoYo T. REMICK, a citizen of tho lhiitecl States, residing at Brockton. in the county of Plymouth and State of lllassachusetts. have invented certain Improvements in Machines for Finishing the Edges of Flexible Material, of which the following description, in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating like parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to the manufacture of boots and shoes and is herein i lustrated in connection with a machine for folding the margin of a piece of flexible material and for guiding into or adjacent to the fold a flexible filament, which in the illustrative embodiment of the invent-ion is a reinforcing element.

in the preparation of shoe uppers certain exposed edges as, for example. those of the top of the upper and along the throat or fly. must be finished to present a smooth, attractive ap niarance. ,This is usually done by skivinpthe edge. applying cement thereto. and folding over the margin upon the cemented portion. The uppers may then. if desired, be stitched through the folded portion. as a further securing means and for the purpose of ornamentation. A large proportion of all the folding was usually performed by hand, but since the advent of machines of the typodiscloscd in the Patent to Glass No. 128L555, this work has been very satisfactorily performed by such machines. For convenience the present invention will be described in connection with a. machine ofthis type.

Une object of the present invention is to produce. a finished edge which will not be liable to stretch. or to produce an edge for any purpose whers additional strength along the margin of the sheet. material-to be finished is required.

it has been found for instance that, in cor-- lain classes of shoes, for example, in oxfords having uppers of rather firm leather, the usual fabric lining of the upper nay be 'dis- Letters Patent.

pensed with provided the free margin of the upper which is subjected to the folding.

operation above described is suitably reinforced to prevent stretching. Any suitable form of reinforcing means may be used. as for instance, a cotton or linen cord or tape which may be applied in position adjacent to toe folded-over margin of the upper either before or in conjunction with the folding operation. For exampleit has been found that a cord introduced into the crease of the upper prior to the folding of the margin down. upon the body of the work and extending in the crease substantially around the folded portion. of the upper serves to provide the necessar firmness and strength usually socured by a fabric lining extending over the entire interior of the shoe upper.

kCCOl'dlllg to one feature of the invention, a flexible filament. which may have a reinforcing function, is conducted to a position adjacent to the margin, and-a hammer afterward presses both a portion of the folded margin and a portion of the filament upon the body portion of the work.

In the use of the illustrative machine the filament is a reinforcing cord which is guided into the crease of the fold and is pressed between the folded over margin and the body of the work; but the invention is not so limited, and itis intended to claim broadl the proper laying of the filament irrespective of its function either in or adjacent to the fold.

Further features of the invention relate to the combination with mechanism for guiding the filament, of means for slitting the margin of the work when desired and to a construction and arrangmncntof parts which facilitate the proper laying of the. filament upon pieces of work the edges of which have sharply curved localities.

} it is to be understood that. the member referred to above as a cord or reinforcing element im1 v \\'ithin the in vcntion, be a thrcau.

tape. band, string or other suitable member which for the purpose of this application ma be designated by the grcncrul term filament or filamentous element.

These and other features of the invention will be described in connection with an illustrative machine and pointed out in the appended claims.

5 Referring to they accompanying drawin s ' l igure l is a perspective view of the work table of a machine with its overhanging arm and the folding instruznentalities and means I for introducing the reinforcing element;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the creaser and cord guiding mea -..i.;;

Fig. 3 1s a deta l in perspective of the fdlding and cord inserting instrumentalities operating upon a piece of stock;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the folding and cord introducing instrumentalities, thelatter being modified;

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 3 015 the v modified form of cord introducing means;

Fig. '6 a detail of the modified form of the creaser;

Fig. 7 shows the step of cementing the margin of the material; Fig. Sris a view of a shoe upper i1lustrating the work performed by the machine.

The instrumentalities which operate to fold the margin of the sheet material in the treatment of which this invention is to be 40 In Fig. -1 is shown in perspective a view of the work table 2 of the machine and the overhanging arm 4: upon the left hand end of which certain. oil-tgie operating instrumentalities are mounts" For the purpose of deedriptionit'will be convenient to regard the arm t as extending in a general direction from the right to the left side of the machine and aims at right angles to this as extending from front to rear of the machine, the operator;

' position being in front of the machine, that is, in the position toward which the forwardly turned left-hand end of the arm 4 points. a As the portion of sheet material to be operated upon is presented to the machine the I edge is pushed toward the right into engagevment with the upwardly curved surface of a plow 10 which turns the edge upwardly imso til it encounters an overhanging end 11 of the plow or until it engages the pivoted gage 12 which may be adjusted somewhat below the projection. 11. The portion 11 ofthe plow 1G or the pivoted gage 12 determines the distance the material can be inserted and hence determines the width of the fold. The gage 12 may be adjusted by a screw let to vary to some degree the width of the fold. If a greater variation in the width of the fold than can be secured by an adjustment of the pivoted gage 12 is desired, the plow lil'may he removed and one of different shape inserted in its place.

In orderto clamp the Work during the formation of the fold in the margin of the sheet, ayielding presser .20 is provided which is actuated upwardly at the proper time in the cycle of the machine to press the work against the under face of a crlnser 22. The resser block 20 is actuated through resilient liea'ns (not shown) to avoid applyingexcessive pressure to the work and to permit its retraction manually for the introduction and removal of the'worlr.

The right-hand face of the creaser 22 .55

which is nest shown in Fig. 2 deterini' i by its lower edge the line of fold and cos erates. .;r vith a folding finger 24: which is ac-' grated upwardly and at an inclination toward the left to fold the margin of the upperacross the lower edge of the face oi: the creaser and to give to that edge a total bend of more than 90 relatively to the plane oi the body of the sheet. The movement of the folding finger 24-, to form this fold or loop in the stock occurs while the stool: is clamped between the presser lock 20 and the lower taceof the creaser 22 and before the stock is fed. At this stage in the treatment of the ma- 10b terial and in accordance with the present invention a reinforcing member is inserted into the fold which is lacing made by the machine. One tornrot mechanism by which the invention may he'praetised satisfactorily, is shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, which have already been parti ll described. The reinfercing'memberflil, which for convenience may he referred to as a cord, is brought from a spool or reeh not shown, through the end 32 of a rod 34. adjustably supported in 1 the collar 36 inwhiclrit is held by a set screw 38. The collar 36 is supported by a bracket &0 which is held on the table of the machine by a screw 42.: From the end 32 1-15 .of the rod 34-the cord-is passed through a hole 44, Fig. 2, to the. left-hand side of the rod and is then threaded through an open ing 46 (Fig. 3) in a direction toward the operating instrumentalities in the machine and emerges from an opening 48 in the rearwardly turned end of the rod 34 in position to be carried into the bi ht of the fold and across the right-hand ace of the creaser or fold guide 22.

To insure that the cord will be properly placed in the angle formed. in the upper andparticularly to position it accurately in the bight of the fold, the lower edge of one of the active faces of the creaser for instance the face a9 is provided with a groove 50 along which the cord moves as the Work is fed.

= The groove 50 is located as near as possito the lower edge of the face -19 of the creaser so that the reinforcing member will The knife 56 cooperates with the advance edge Gil, Fig. 1, of the plow 10 to make a shearing cut through the marginal portion ofthe material in order that the fold may be formed properly around a concave curve of the material being treated, as shown at a in; Fig. 8. For straight edges the snipping knife is, usually. thrown out of operation.

.To complete the folding of the margin of the sheet material down upon the body portidn thereof to press the parts together and effect the setting of the cement and to present a new portion of the material to the folding instrumentalities, there are provided the anvil block 70 and the hammer T2. The work supporting surface of the anvil block 1 70' is beveled obliquely downwardly toward the yielding presser block 20, that is, toward the point where the fold is completed and also toward the right-hand side of the machine, that is, toward the line of direction of the feed of the work. This construction of the anvil eliminates the tendency to stretch the edge of the work in the folding and plaiting operations. Since the rearmost portion of the portion of the margin being treated is held'upright by the plow 10 and by the folding finger and the advance por- 'tion of the margin is folded over upon the body of the work there is an objectionable tension or strain exerted upon the edge of the work between these two points. The inclined surface of the anvil and the correspondingly inclined surface of the hammer 72 which coiiperates with it prevent undue stretching of the edge of the work due to the said tension or straint since the folded portion of the work is held in an oblique position instead of being folded flat in the plane 7 of the body portion of the work. Also where aconvexly curved portion of the work is being treated the inclined surfaces of the anvil and hammer facilitate the formation of transverse creases or.plaits which are necessary to take care of the fullness of the edge and are shown at 7; in Fig. '8. This double obliquity of the anvil face toward the right and toward the front, as described, has been found particularly advantageous in elimi nating the objectionable stretching of the edge, particularly in connection with the cord introducing mechanism.

At the time the fold is-bcing completed by the anvil and tne hammer 72, the anvil is located contiguous to the presser block 20 and the hammer 72 is actuated forwardly and downwardly to fold over a portion of the margin of the material and press it firmly against the anvil block, the points of completion of the fold being at the forward edge of the anvil block. In order that this action may be effected without bending the margin of the work at a sharp angle the advance face of the creaser 22 is cut away at 74, (Figs. 2 and 3) to give space forthe upper material and yet permit the hammer .72 to approach very closely the advance edge of the creaser. This grouping of the folding instrumentalities in a short space longitudinally of the direction of feed enables the machine to operate with great facility around sharp curves which frequently occur in work upon shoe uppers.

After the fold has been firmly pressed between the hammer and the anvil the two are moved together a certain distance to effect the feed of the work. This distance is under the control of the operator and may be varied during the operation. of the machine, this control being desirable since it. is practicable to employ a much longer feed stroke when folding a straight edge than when folding a curved edge.

' In order to insure that the feed of the work shall take place when the stock is first inserted in the machine without the operators taking care to advance the work far enough to insure that the hammer 72 will engage it, a foot 76 is provided. The foot 76 is made of spring steel and is secured at 78 to the hammer 72. The foot 76 extends for wardly into a space formed by cutting away a portion of the creaser member in' which space the stock will be exposed when it is first inserted in the machine. The front end of the foot 76 is downturned at 80, Fig. 4, to form a toe which gets a firm grip on the material and insures a positive feed of the work as the hammer moves rearwardly in the direction of feed.

' A son'i'ewhat different form of thecreascr and cord guiding mechanism is shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6/ In the machine as illustrated in these views, the rod 3% with its guide openings for the cord is dispensed with and in place thereof a hole 90- is bored throughthe creaser 'member in a direction toward the rear and inclined toward the right. The hole is also inclined downwardly and emerges on the right-hand face of the creaser preferably," though not necessarily,

at a point a short distance in front of its I lotion to the directionfbf feed. l rorn the hole 90 to the advance end of the creeser' the groove 50 is preserved and serves as in the previously described construction to locate the reinforcing element the bi ht the fold formed by the folding race in.- 1118111.

Preferably a suitable tension device 82 is.

provided which may be mounted upon a bracket 84 secured. to .thehead of the mechine at 86. The cord is guided from a reel or spoohthrough a guide 88 and through the tensioning device 82 to the opening 90 in the cre'aser 22 through which it is threaded.

the work may now be inserted and the operation of folding successive portions of the upper and inclosing the reinforclng element in the fold will proceed automatically. When one piece of work is finished, another may be inserted without cutting the cord and when a run of work has been completed the cord connecting the pieces may be I is claimed as new and desired to be secured position to be secured by cement.

i. A machine for folding), the murgiu'of' by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In an upper folding machine the combination of a folding finger, a coiiperatiu creaser for determining the line of the fol means for. completing the fold, and means for introducing between the creuser and thefolded material a filamentof reinforcing material.

2. A machine for folding the edge of sheet material comprising coiipereting folding devices one of which is constructed and arranged to guide a flexible filament into the vertex of the fold.

3. In it machine for progressively folding over the margin of a piece of sheet material upon itself, the combination of means for turning up the edge of'the sheet material to initiate the fold, menus across vvl'iich the upper is folded to determine the location of the crease, menus for introducing into the crease a fiexihle filament of reinforcing matteriol, and menus for completing the fold ing of the irmi'giu of the material down upon itselit to inclose said filament and intosheot mutcriul, having in combination fold miners of the material during the folo forming v operation, and means for inserting into the fold beyond the slittcd portion :2. flexible file-v ment.

v8, A. mschine for folding the margin of shoe material having in combination. means for initiating the fold in the margin of the material, means for slitting the edge in which the fold has been initiated, moons for insertin into the partially termed "fold a reinforcm element, and menus for complctin% the to d to inclose said element.

A. machine for folding the margin of shoe materiel boring in combination afold guide or crenser mounted with its edge in the line of feed of the uniteriel, a. folding finger mounted for reciprocation across the edge of the fold guide to form a fold in the materiel, and means for guiding a, reinforcing, element along said edge between the creaser'end the folding finger.

8. A machine for folding the margin of shoe material having in combination a work support, a fold guide or cresser having an edge over which the material. is adapted to be bent partially to form a, told, u folding finger cooperating with said creaser, nieens forslitting the edge-of the material, and means for introducing a, reinforcing element into the fold as time formedover the edge of the creamer.

9. A machine for folding the margin of shoe material having in combination it work support, a. fold guide 01w crease: located above the support, means for initiating the fold in the margin of the upper, a folding finger coiipereting with the crecser to continue the fOldlll operation until the folded over {portion makes on acute angle with the body portion or the motcriel, men is for introducing into said tingle {L reinforcing iilnmerit, menus for completing the folding of the upper overthe reinforcing filament 1.0. A machine for fol-ding the margin of shoe material having in combination e WOl'li support, a fold guide or crecser limited the supporfluneuns for initiating; the fold in the margin of the upper, a folding finger cooperating with the creuscr to continue the folding operation until the f lded overportiou makes an acuteangle witlrthebody portion of the mutoriil, means for insertii'i g into said zingle n, ZGll'lfflllflllg lilitzncnt, means for slitting the upper at an intermediate step in the, folding operation, end means Tilt? r ux for completin the folding of the upper over the reinforcing filament. v

11. A machine for folding the margin of sheet material having in combination aworl; support, a fold guide or ereaser located above the support, means for initiating the-fold in the margin of the upper, a folding finger cooperating with the creaser to continue the folding operation until .the folded over portion makes an acute angle with the body portion of the material, means for inserting into said angle a reinforcing filament, means acting to slit the edge of the material after the initiation of the fold and prior to the insertion of the reinforcing filament, and means for completing the folding of the upper over the reinforcing filament.

12. A machine for folding the margin of sheet material with convex curves on the edge thereof, having in combination a fold guide or creaser, a folding finger means for reciprocating the finger transversely of the edge of the ereaser to turn up the edge of the material at an angle to the body portion of the-material, means for inserting a reinforcing filament between the ereaser and the material, pressing means in advance of and adjacent to the ereaser adapted to complete the folding of the material over the reinforcing filament and having its engaging faces at an inclination to the direction of the ae tingedge of the creaser to facilitate the formation of folds in the material when passing around convex curves of the edge.

13. In a machine of the class described the combination with mechanism adapted to foldthe margin of shoe material having a concave edge, of means for introducing into thefold as thus formed a colder filament, and slitting mechanism acting to slit the edge of the material during the formation the cord into thefold. 1%. A machine of the class described having in combination folding mechanism adapted to operate upon a concave edge, means for slitting the edge prior to the completion of the fold therein; and means for guiding a flexible filament into the fold formed by the folding means.

15. A machine of the class described having, in combination, means to feed a piece of sheet material intermittently into posi of the fold and prior to the introduction of tion to have its margin operated upon, means for progressively folding said" edge comprising a creaser and a folding finger cooperating With the creaser to bend the margin of the material about the edge of the creaser, and meansv for introducing between the ercaser and the finger a reinforcing element.

ltl. In a machine for folding pliable znaterial, the combination of a bed, a work table and folding finger, feeding means, and a crea'ser overlying the Work and underl 'ins the edge folded by the folding finger. said crcaser being providedv with guiding means whereby a reinforcing element may be guided into the fold famed by the crcaser and the folding linger and into position to be fed by said feeding means.

17. A machine of the class described hav ing, in combination, means for-feeding a piece of material intermittently into 1305b tion to have its margin operated upon, means for progressively slitting and folding said margin, said last-named means includinga crcascr about which the edge of the fold is made, and means for introducing into the fold a flexible filament. i

18. A. machine of the class described having, in con'ibinat-ion, means for feeding a piece of material intermittently into posi tion to have its margin operated upon, means for progressively folding said margin, said last-named means including a folder and a creaser across the edge of which the folder acts, and means for guiding across an active the folding finger, means for guiding into the angle of the fold formed by the creaser and folding linger a. flexible filament, means for-[actuating the presser to complete the fold and feed the Work including the flexible filament, and means for :tuating' the cutter and the folding finger to do their Work.

20. A machine of the class described having, in combination, means for feeding apiece of material intermittently into position to have its margin operated upoina creaser and a folder past which the material fed, means constructed and arranged to introduce in fined relation to the edge of the material a reinforcing element, means for causing relative movement between the folder and the creaser to form a fold over said reinforcing ,element, and means for pressing the folded portion upon said cleinent and upon the body of the piece of material. i

21. A folding machine for doubling the edge of sheet material in a series of steps comprising a support "for the stock, a fold guide orcrcaser arranged to hear on the surface of steel: lying on said support, aturning device nu able across the line of fold established by said creaser, means for introducing along: the line of ld a reinforcing element, and means for feeding the stool: step by step in the direction of the line of a .nseiilslast-named means including a folder and a creaser across the edge of which the .i'older moves, said creaser having a hole therethrough for the introduction through the creeser and into the fold of a reinfoi'c-' ing element. I

23; A machine for folding the margin. of sheet material having, in combination, means for bending upwardly the edge of the upper, a folder, a creaser coi iper'ating with the folder to form a crease in the upper, guiding means upon the creaser whereby a reinforcing element may he introduced into the angle of the fold formed by the oreaser, and

.means for applying tension to the cord and for guiding it n the proper relation to the guidin r means ugon the cr'easer.

24:. n itlllflclilHS for progressively folding over the cemented margin of a piece of sheet material upon itselt, the combination of means for turning 11 the edge of the material to initiate the fold, means across which the upper is folded to determine the location of the crease, means for slitting the edge of the upper, means for introducing into the crease a flexible filament of rem:- forcin material, and means tor oompletm the to ding of the margin of the materia v upon itself to inclose said filament and into position to be secured by cement. l

25. A machine for folding'the margin of a piece of sheet material having, in combination, fold forming means, means for introducing into the fold a reinforcing element, a hammer and an anvil located adjacent to the means for introducing the reinforcing element and cooperating to beat down the folded over portion of the niaterial upon the body portion thereof and upon the interposed reinforcing element, and means for slitting the margin of the material to facilitate the operation of the folding means about concave curves in the edge of the material.

26. A machine of the class described havin in combination means for progressively fo ding over the edge oi the piece of shoe material, means for introducing acord into the fold formed by the foldin means, means.

for pressing the fold after the told is completed, and means for moving the pressing means to feed the cord.

27. A machine of the class described havin in combination means for progressively f0 ding over the edge of the piece of shoe material, means for introducing acord into the fold formed by the folding means,

' means for pressing the fold, and means for moving the pressing means to feed the Work and the cord simultaneously.

28. A machinefor operating on the uppers of boots and shoes having, in combination, devices for folding the margin of a,

cemented upper, means for conductin a reinforcing element to the surface of the upper at afixed distance for the margin to be folded,K and a hammer for pressingsimultaneously both a portion of the folded-margin and a portion of the element upon; the body part of the upper. v.

29. A machine for operating on the up pers of boots and shoes having, in combina "tion, an edge turning device, means for the upper adjacent to its fold margin.

P31. A machine for operating upon the marigin of a piece offlexible material having, in

combination, fold forming and fold pressing mechanism located in such proximity side by side that the margins of pieces of nia-v terial having sharply curved edges may be operated upon, and means for guiding a reinforcing element in a path parallel to the edge of the material in position to be acted upon by said pressing mechanism.

In testimony whereof 1 have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' LLOYD T. REMIGK. Witnesses:

Enean N. Beans, Geo. W. Goncou. 

